The Apraxia Preschool Program (TAPP) FAQ:

At TAPP, we work with children and families to: improve clarity of speech, maximize literacy outcomes, and build confidence and advocacy skills.

Program Days: Monday - Thursday

Times: Mornings 9:15 – 12:00

Location: Centre for Community Inclusion - 11130-131 Street Edmonton

Cost: There is no cost to families at this time.

What are the eligibility criteria?

For the 2024-25 school year, children must be born in either 2020 or 2021. Children born in the Fall of 2019 may also be eligible if they have not yet accessed 2 years of support. Priority is given to children with a confirmed diagnosis of Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS), and age-appropriate receptive language. If spaces are available, consideration will also be given to children with suspected CAS, other motor speech disorders, and/or severe phonological disorders.

Can children who have a dual-diagnosis attend? (ex: Autism, hearing loss, etc).

Yes! We welcome applications for students who have more than one diagnosis. Because our programming is highly focused on speech and pre-literacy, we do require that speech be the child’s primary area of communication need at this point in time.

Children must have sufficient imitation and attention skills to engage in direct therapy focusing on speech movements.

What does the classroom look like?

The TAPP classroom team includes a Certified Teacher, Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP), SLP-Assistant (SLPA), and an Educational Assistant (EA). Occupational Therapy (OT) and Physical Therapy (PT) supports are also available.

Classes contain up to 12 children.

What treatment approach is used?

For children with CAS or suspected CAS, a motor-based speech treatment approach is used. Treatment utilizes the principles of motor learning, and is highly individualized for each child. Many children who attend TAPP are appropriate candidates for DTTC (Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing).

What is the frequency of treatment?

Throughout the school year, students with CAS receive 3 intensive motor speech treatment blocks; each block lasts for 5-6 weeks. During that time, the child is seen for individual speech therapy sessions three times per week. Parents receive regular progress notes that include specific suggestions for home practice.

The SLPA and the rest of the classroom team support all children with multimodal communication in a play-based environment, and provide students with daily opportunities to practice their individual target words and phrases, in a social context.

Pre-literacy concepts, and in particular phonological awareness skills, are heavily embedded into the program day. Each month we focus on a specific skill or concept (ex: rhyming, narratives, blending of sounds in words) during targeted centres and group activities.

Is transportation available?

Bussing is not available at this time. Please note that Community Options also has a daycare available onsite. For more information about our Westmount daycare, click here to learn more.